Refactor Games, the California-based studio that developed Netflix's official FIFA World Cup game, has reportedly laid off the vast majority — possibly all — of its staff, with multiple employees saying publisher Delphi Interactive pulled funding shortly after the game shipped.

The closure comes roughly eight weeks after FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition was released on 11 June 2025 as a Netflix exclusive. Players could stream the game to their televisions and use their phones as controllers — a cloud-streaming approach Netflix has experimented with as it builds out its gaming offering. The game was announced only six months before release and, according to reporting, had to be built from scratch to hit a non-negotiable mid-June launch timed to the opening of the real-world tournament.

That rush showed. FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition was critically panned upon release, with reviewers singling out its controls and graphics. VGC gave the game one star, calling it "a woefully undercooked companion to the world's biggest tournament" (VGC). Despite the criticism, Netflix's CEOs publicly praised the title in the period following its launch, according to Aftermath (Aftermath).

The studio's apparent end has been documented across multiple outlets. Kotaku reported on 1 August 2026 that Delphi Interactive shut Refactor down about eight weeks after launch, having pulled the funding that kept the studio running (Kotaku). Game Developer, GamesIndustry.biz and Insider Gaming each confirmed the shutdown in reports published on 3 August, with Insider Gaming independently verifying that a majority of staff were let go (Game Developer; GamesIndustry.biz; Insider Gaming).

Refactor Games was based in Delphi Interactive's Los Angeles headquarters and was part-owned by the publisher. Three former employees have spoken publicly about the closure. Art director Barclay Chantel wrote on LinkedIn that Delphi "pulled the plug" on the studio right after the FIFA World Cup game shipped. Product designer and UI artist Victor Del Castillo said funding was pulled after release, leading to the studio's closure and the layoff of the entire team. Artist Joseph Civitate posted that employees were let go a couple of months after the game shipped, after funding for the studio's next project was cancelled.

Just days before the game's 11 June release, Netflix issued a press release describing the Launch Edition as its "Kickoff" and promising it would "evolve over time." Whether further updates are still possible with the development team gone is an open question neither Netflix nor Delphi Interactive has publicly addressed.

For the developers, the timeline is stark: six months to build a game from nothing, a release met with poor reviews, and then — within weeks — the loss of their jobs. Neither Delphi Interactive nor Netflix has issued a formal statement on the studio's status or on the future of the FIFA World Cup game.